Rehabilitation
by Fahrenaut
Summary: Healing. Multi-chaptered fanfiction / Takes place after Sunrise; slight alternate ending / HOLLYLEAF LIVES. Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Har har, I've been dying to write a HollyxSol fanfic for a while now. This isn't the greatest thing ever, and I know it is long; I actually had to cut it. Believe it or not, this was originally a one-shot. Heh, because of the length and the content I _really wanted_ to include, this will soon be multi-chaptered. Also, I'm new to fanfiction writing, and I'm kind of wary to post my works up here. I still have a lot of work to do, which brings me to my ever-so-amazing BETA-er, _Pop2by4._ She's absolutely awesome, and she was a very good editor. Sadly, she doesn't have an account on here, so I credited her YouTube name instead. All right, this is the end of my first Author's Note. You will see one at the end too, so yay for you. Gives you something to look forward to, _right_?

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**Disclaimer:** _Warriors_ belongs to _Erin Hunter_. The characters do not belong to me.

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**Rehabilitation**

_Chapter One_

It was terribly dark, but it didn't matter. All I knew was that my life had taken a deep plunge into black waters. There was no return, and I was drowning and going so deep. All I cared about was letting my paws guide me into something surreal and not of this earth. Everything banished to nothing.

Barely aware of my own brothers behind me, calling for me, I ran. My mind was just a murky haze of anger, disbelief, and pure hopelessness. Cats being 'conflicted' was nowhere near the internal and external struggle I felt right now. No one could ever hope to understand what I've gone through. The mental and physical trials had all come down to this: my sanity being slain and thrown to foxes. It was quite pitiful to think that my fellow Clanmates would only remember me as something to be loathed. Well, as long as Leafpool was gone from my life, it was alright. I didn't want to see anyone. My life was a lie.

_My life was a lie. I was a terrible mistake._

Absently, I sped off into the tunnels, hoping to find solace in their depths. I had had them on my mind, and they were now all I could think about. They would take me away from this life, from the beliefs that failed me. From Leafpool, to Squirrelflight, from ThunderClan, to Jayfeather and Lionblaze, and even from Sol. Away from the stupid prophecy that had led us into so much turmoil, and I knew that it wasn't even about _me_.

It had only been seconds.

Before my mind could comprehend the situation, the sound of dirt and rocks folding in on themselves met my ears, and I was encased in rubble. I couldn't fathom what had just happened (I was too shocked and distraught), but my fatigued brain put together the pieces. The tunnel had caved in on itself. When the fact settled in, I had to admit that I wasn't all that surprised. Reluctantly, I helplessly stood by as my 'fight or flight' response system kicked in. My claws were unsheathed and gripping unconsciously at the ground. My eyes were wide and my mouth was ajar for air. Was this how it was going to end? I was hoping to lose myself in the labyrinth, not be entombed like a dog in a cage.

I suppose it didn't matter, though. Raking my claws and flailing vainly at my trapper, I let my mind get fuzzy and turn violent. Pushing with my shoulders, I made my way through the debris. In my state of being, I was barely aware of the actual things around me or what I was doing. I just let myself be a torrent of thoughts and actions; telling myself that it didn't matter, yet at the same time fighting for a way out. I guess I was more confused than I thought.

White light came into my vision; it was like thousands of white orbs blasting before me and sticking to my eyes. I didn't know what to call it, except that I must have taken a heavy blow to my head or some other vulnerable/important place that caused me to see stars. I really hadn't meant to cause so much pain for myself.

Yowling, my consciousness drifted in and out like the tide; white to black, white to black, and then, finally, just black. Who would have thought black on black was possible? But it was, if it even made sense. Seeing nothing yet being _in_ something was something I didn't want to ponder. (idk my changes just kinda screwed things up here, so you can change it back (I forgot what it used to be x-x))

Again darkness was around me, and I could smell, taste, and feel the wet ground and soil on me. So, I was definitely left for dead in the dark abyss of the earth's interior. There was no way out. For one who places themselves in such miserable places, there's _never_ a way out. Plus, there was a sharp pain in my lower spine. A rock probably crushed me in those split seconds of black and white. Yet, I was still moving. That wish of wanting to be back underneath the sky and in the folds of the ThunderClan camp was right on my tongue.

What if I did make it out alive? What if I was already dead?

The more that I thought about it, I came to the resolute (yet anguished) conclusion that I probably _was_ deceased, and that this was my eternal punishment for being the spawn of a sinful tryst. This was the dark forest, or maybe just the true version of hell: being lost underground without anyone to be of comfort. I knew that the point of being in a place such as this was for one to have to suffer with only their thoughts and pain for all eternity, but really. Was this it?

Opening my jaws further I was met with the taste of dirt, and pushing and kicking with my legs and paws only resulted in clay stacking on my fur and crushing me further. I kept flailing, my mind still in a trance. That is, until my front leg seemed to break through a wall and end in open space. My heart nearly broke out of my ribs. On instinct I pushed forward with such ferocity that my entire form broke through and into the same space. I was free. _Somehow_, I was.

Taking a deep and ragged breath, I came to realize that I had been holding it. In this place that had room for me to stand and fill my lungs, everything just seemed to hit me; rationality, common sense, and clear comprehension. I was no longer in the clutches of the madness of trying to survive... My first thought was that my struggle had only lasted but a moment or so. It had seemed so much longer.

A _pool_ of thought then drowned me.

Not all of the caves were filled in, obviously. How I had been lucky to be near an uncollasped route was pretty cruel, considering what I had previously been through. But my intuition was telling me otherwise. I deduced that I wasn't where I had thought I was in my hopelessness state. I was in the lower world only known by the ancients; the very thing that had captivated my siblings and I not to long ago. In total-utter blindness, I tried to stand, but my legs only shook violently and gave in on me. My back sending strong stabs of pain into my skull didn't help with my plight at all either.

What was I to do now? Well, I was crippled. That was something I could grasp. Also, I was lost in a dark labyrinth with no indication of where I could possibly be.

_I believe I can safely say that I am pretty much dead_, I thought. I felt sad that it had to be prolonged, and that what I had wanted to happen all along was not meant to be. Probably another punishment for what my parents had done. StarClan (or whatever godly power there was) was most certainly determined to not let me off so easily. They were that cruel; or was this justified? I didn't know what to believe anymore.

Resigned to just lie there, I, Hollyleaf, relaxed my stiff muscles and allowed for my viridian eyes to close. Black upon black once again, except that sleep would not save me, nor anything else. It was all the same.

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_"_You_ killed Ashfur?"_

_I tried to ignore the shock in my brother's voice. My mind was decided, but his tone shook me slightly. I knew they wouldn't understand. I'm alone in this. I always knew I was._

_Remembering what I had done..._

_I felt a slight prickling at the back of my thoughts, but I brushed it off. My back was turned to Jayfeather and Lionblaze; I wasn't sure if it was __because I was maddened, or I just couldn't face them._

_"He should have been swept into the lake and never seen again," I meowed, my voice strong despite the fact that my gut was wrenching, "But they found him, and now everything is ruined. I can't stay here." A panging feeling erupted inside my heart, but my expression was stoic with the importance of my decision._

_"I _know_ I did the right thing, but no cat will ever understand," I added with utmost finality. I didn't need for my family to support my choice. It was something that had needed to be done. In order to keep the warrior code together and my Clan in order, I did it. I could still remember the yowl of Ashfur as I killed him with so much efficiency and ease. Murder was not in my nature, but protecting my values was. I was right... I was!_

_Almost on impulse I darted off into the tunnel, the underground river somehow in my ears. My life was a lie. I was a terrible mistake. I knew I was, and my attempts at justifying it were ridiculous. My mind was so divided._

_"Hollyleaf, no!" I could hear Jayfeather call desperately, "We can figure this out together-"_

_And that's when it all officially came tumbling down._

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Eyes flying open, I awoke to a horrid throbbing in my chest. Not only that, but I awoke to _light_. The dream still repeating itself in choppy verses, I tried to get a view of my surroundings, but the brightness was rendering my senses obsolete. I had the mind to try and yowl with all my heart, but I felt like I had no voice. Was _this_ finally death?

Closing my eyes and breathing in and then out, I dared to open them again. Like a heavy weight was being taken off my body, I could see blurry forms, hear, and I could feel. I tried to ignore that I could smell and taste; rust and iron seemed to cover my tongue and fill my nose. What I felt was grass... sweet grass. Either I was in some strange oblivion, or I was dreaming still. Those were the only explanations.

"You tried to escape your problems."

I froze as my entire world seemed to flip on its axis.

That voice... I knew it, and it snapped me back into bitter reality. I thought I had rid myself of that wretched voice! Of course, _he_ was probably never going to leave me, was he? Just like a curse. I wasn't dead because he was here, but I sincerely wished I was.

Of all cats, Sol was the least I wanted to see. In my mind, I couldn't help but pin him down with a lot of the blame for my predicament. Deep inside myself I knew that it wasn't very fair to do so, but I didn't care. Him with his stupid promise of enlightenment, his amber eyes, and silky voice...

"And you are awake," he stated matter-of-factly, his deep mew echoing in my ears. Tilting my black head towards where his voice was coming from, I stared defiantly at him. Or at least, I hoped that that was what I was doing since I could barely make out his form and couldn't smell a thing. Not to mention I still felt terribly tired, despite how my mind was on a rampage.

Feeling a soft, feather-light touch on my muzzle, I shook it off (not as violently as I would have liked), and I recognized what seemed to be a tail. He seemed to be unaffected when my jaws snapped vainly at it. With a flick of his beautiful head, I could imagine, Sol was making light of me.

"Is that how _all_ Clan cats give thanks to their saviors?" I heard him say in his captivating drawl. Blinking, and then being gratified with even better vision, I retorted weakly, "Savior...?" _'Go away'_, or a clear, _'what do you mean?'_ would have sufficed so much better, but what could I do when my conscience was so fragile?

Closing my eyes tightly and watching the dull orbs float about, I heard his reply. "I found you in the tunnels." There was silence after. _Oh no, it's okay, don't continue_, I thought bitterly. Opening my eyes, I was relieved to find my sight back to perfection. Taking this to my advantage, I lifted my head fully off of the grass and looked directly at Sol. Banishing my now fluttering heart to a fiery death, I glared at the tortoiseshell tom; his wide-spaced ears and defining amber eyes all too familiar.

"How did you find me? ... And where am I?" I pressed, my mind finally picking up on how hoarse my mew was. That was the least of my concerns though. Even though I held high distain for the cat before me, and even though in the back of my mind all I could hear were the voices telling me that I should have died, I had to know. An unspoken question was still on my tongue, but I didn't dare ask it. _Why would you even bother to save me?_

Watching him saunter smoothly to the left of me, he sat down gracefully and looked over his shining fur before countering idly, "All that matters is that I did find you. Where you are... I will tell you later."

The way he said it... so calmly, so flippantly, enraged me. In the heat of the moment, I tried to roll over onto my stomach but was denied with a terrible shoot of pain that came from my lower back. Seething and hissing, I flopped back over slowly, my jaw clenching pathetically.

"No sudden movement, Hollyleaf," I heard Sol say as I fought back the same white mask from much, much earlier. Regaining my sight, and recovering slowly from the pain, I managed to look at Sol through clouded eyes. The tom seemed to be genuinely sympathetic... and maybe something else. I couldn't place it, and my mind couldn't focus long enough to try.

Resting my head solemnly back down on the flattened undergrowth, I let my eyes stray from Sol and towards my surroundings. I was out in the open, I could tell, circled by tall trees and thick bushes. From the holes in the canopy above came the bright sunlight; it bathed the small clearing in gold and highlighted every single strand of hair on our pelts. Assuming it was close to sunset, I allowed for my gaze to warily travel back to the mysterious tom. He was still looking at me, although his expression was placid now.

"You injured your spine," the mottled cat stated evenly once I had settled down, although his eyes again took on that soft look, "You must rest. I will treat you."

I suppressed a snort; I remembered clearly that day when the patrol (including me) went to go search for the elusive feline at the Sundrown place and stumbled upon the gang of cats who had nothing but bad things to say about him. Recalling their remarks, I gave Sol a sardonic look and growled, "How many times have you said that you would do something for me or for another? You are a cat who cannot do anything without getting something in return."

Watching his reaction carefully, I listened as he replied, "Not always true, Hollyleaf. I do like favors, but with you I do not want one in return." Judging by his tone, the question didn't seem to affect him, but his eyes portrayed a different feeling. My tail twitched in sudden nervousness.

Sol was an intense yet peculiar character; I could never understand him. He entranced me and intimidated me at the same time. A cat with any level of intelligence would know that the tortoiseshell is not one to be trusted with a life, but he has this aura of charm and promise that makes one want to believe what he says. How he is aloof most of the time doesn't help either.

The two of us drifted into a reserved silence. I had rested my chin on my paws, more or less in tiredness than to distract myself from the awkwardness that I felt. The regal tom across from me always seemed to have the power to control the mood in a cat, although more often than not his calm and sickeningly detached demeanor left others to be uncomfortable towards him. _That's what he gets for acting like a prophet from the skies_, I thought, remembering how he led my brothers and I on a wild hunt for answers to the so-called prophecy that Jayfeather believed in so much.

That one thought unleashed a follow-up of bad memories; my heritage, the _lies_. How I never had a power, how I wasn't one of the three, and all of my misadventures in ThunderClan. I suppose that's all behind me now, though. I may not know where I am, but knowing Sol, I probably wasn't all that far from what I direly needed to escape from. After all, the tom doesn't like to get his pretty little paws dirty, or put to much work on his shoulders for that matter.

He was giving me a blank look; it wasn't exactly unnerving, but it annoyed me and made me want to get away from him. I blatantly wished to know how he could always seem to get the better of my emotions. Blinking and biting back a few harsh words, I turned my head away, no longer wanting to look at the long-haired tortoiseshell.

"Hmph," I released a short breath, exaggerating it, then continued crudely, "It's later, Sol. Either tell me where I am and how you found me, or just leave." I wasn't up to his games; I didn't need the company, nor the care. Or at least, I didn't want to deal with a tom that made my stomach and heart react so strangely. Turning my head to level him with a glare from my green eyes, I waited impatiently for a response.

Sol held his ground by looking at me with cool resignation. His voice was almost apathetic as he replied, "I suppose so, Hollyleaf. Very well-" he curled his tail over his paws "-you are a good distance away from what you were running from. How I found you... Again, the only fact of importance is that I _did_ find you.

"Unless," he continued absently, his mew taking on a hollow reverberation, "you were trying to kill yourself." It was very much more of a statement than a question.

My eyes turned to slits as I replied darkly, "Not exactly." I loathed how he _assumed_ things.

"You know that I am somewhat right, though?" Sol countered, his expression changing from poised to knowing.

I bared my fangs at him, my tolerance close to snapping. After everything I've been though, I didn't need a masochist acting like he knew my every motive and thought. And, as if he could read my mind (almost as proof), he added strongly, "Hollyleaf, I know you more than you'd like to believe."

Lashing my tail, I openly growled in retort towards those words. How dare he, really? How did Sol ever develop such an impending and horrible ego? Although in admittance, I had to recognize the pounding of my poor heart. My heart was betraying me so much lately. Why would the tom's one-of-many assertions give me so much confusion inside? Shaking it off, I regained my mental composure and replied intelligently, "That concerns me, Sol. You know _nothing_ about me."

Neither of us really seemed to care as twilight descended upon the land, making the trees and foliage appear black against the purple and dark blue of the sky. Temperatures dropped slightly and my fur began to stand on end, although it had pretty much been doing that already.

One of those rare instances occurred; Sol lost his fortitude for what seemed like only a second. His eyes flashed something like displeasure and hurt before being covered up again by impassiveness. I didn't really have the chance to take it in before he spoke.

"I know you killed Ashfur."

My eyes widened considerably in the fading light. How could he have known? He wasn't there when I had done it; I had been so careful to make sure that there was no chance of a witness! Of course, anyone could have discreetly observed from the WindClan moors, but there had been no one, of that I was still completely certain. _Did he learn from my later actions?_ I thought. _Maybe he guessed from my behavior._ Sol had never touched a single hair on Ashfur's pelt, I knew, but I stood by as the tom was accused with my crime. I was secretly hoping that the blame would indeed be finally secured upon his shoulders, but it never officially happened. My Clan thought me as dead, most likely, since I pretty much almost _did_ die when the tunnel collapsed in on itself. Sol may have put the pieces together. After a moment of further contemplation, I realized that it wasn't all that hard of a conclusion to make, especially if you had any intimate knowledge of me at all. But...

"...All along...?" I asked hoarsely, my head still spinning from all the possibilities.

The entire time Sol had seemed to be judging my reaction, and now that I had finally spoken, he appeared further at ease; maybe feeling more in control.

"Truthfully, no."

I didn't know what to think about that, so I chose relief; I had no reason to feel like that, though. Discerning that I would have to press him for more answers, I opened my jaw to speak, but surprisingly he beat me to it.

"I found out quickly after I learned of the situation. You are easy to read, dear Hollyleaf," Sol meowed. The dark tom was settling down in the grass a fox-length away from me, looking slightly drowsy as he positioned himself in a way that looked agreeable. The night had pretty much captured us; cicadas and other nocturnal creatures were beginning to start their choruses and routines. I was not to be distracted by it. I wanted my answers tonight, even if I had to drag my crippled body over to Sol just to strike at him in order to keep him awake.

_'Easy to read'_, my mind repeated, eyes never leaving the form of Sol, _I was so careful to appear unaffected, but... No, no one would ever have guessed. _To my dismay that familiar feeling of anguish and hopelessness overcame me. Remembering Lionblaze's shock and Leafpool's- _No, not Leafpool. She's dead to me. Just like I'm dead to my Clan, _I thought, my pain subsiding and replaced with hatred for the tabby she-cat. Letting my gaze fall to the ground, I let my head plop back down on the grass, my fatigue forcing its way back.

Fighting it away for at least a few more minutes, I meowed, "Why didn't you say anything?" My harsh tone had faded into an adamant, yet somewhat exhausted, mew. I was losing my vigor to interrogate the tom further, but I needed to know.

"So many questions," the cat meowed, letting his elegant chin rest on his paws, mirroring me. "Yes, now answer them," I replied with all the force I could muster. Sol flicked his ear and replied calmly despite my (obvious) underlying threat, "I had my reasons.

"It would be best if you saved the rest of your inquiries for tomorrow. We are both tired. Rest will do us good." Probably sensing my renewed anger and will to disagree, he added carefully, "And I will be here in the morning."

It wasn't exactly what I had wanted to interject/question with, but it was a notion that I _was_ pondering on throwing out into the open. I recalled a time when he had said pretty much the same thing, and how he had kept his word. Basically in defeat I weakly replied with, "You better." That was all I could really do.

Sol seemed satisfied with how I was quelled so easily. "I will be here," he repeated.

My eyes began to feel heavy; the trials and excitement of the day had caught up with me, and I found it near impossible to stay awake any longer. Noticing the dull throbbing near my lower spine for the first time, I closed my eyes. After reviewing what I would ask Sol tomorrow (if he was still there), I allowed for my mind to ebb from my consciousness into slumber. To the chagrin of my heart and mind, my last thought was of Sol; his amber eyes watching me drift off to sleep.

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_"Eat them! You deserve to die." I crouched, preparing to lunge at my mother when she seemingly refused to eat the death berries I had ordered her to consume. "I've killed once," I snarled viciously, my eyes showing inner turmoil and rage, "and I can do it again."_

_"Hollyleaf," Leafpool had said a strange and unreadable emotion in her eyes, "I have lost my kits, the one cat I loved, and my calling as a medicine cat. Which do you think would be easier for me, to die or to go on living?"_

_We both knew the solemn answer to that. I stood aside quietly as my mother padded past me and out of the den, out of camp, and out of my life forever. _

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I awoke to a single thought in my mind. _My past life is the reoccurring dream. _Realization that the old, wretched memories of when it all fell around me were going to do the haunting, I felt very little solace. I supposed though that is the price I must pay.

The second thing that hit me was that my brain felt terribly fuzzy; for a while I didn't know where I was. While trying to remember, I felt an ache near my spine when I tried to reposition myself in the grass. Then it all came back.

An array of memories collected in my mind, starting with the tunnel falling in on me and then ending with Sol.

_Sol_. My heart skipped a beat as I jerked forward, my spine suffering because of it. After taking a moment to cringe from the pain and recover from the whiteness that had captured my sight, I lifted my head up warily and looked around. Sol wasn't there.

I wasn't very surprised, but I was frightened. Reluctantly, I had to admit that he was probably the only thing keeping me sane. He gave me something to focus on, but he was gone. Feeling a plethora of emotion, including disappointment, I wondered if I should call out for him. Odds were that it would be in vain, and the action could attract predators or other kinds of unwanted attention.

Craning my neck back to sniff the air, I caught his scent lingering on the breeze, and it was fresh. Ignoring the fluttering hope inside my chest, my eyes went back to searching the depths of the wood (of what I could see). Meanwhile my mind was in an uproar of worry and uncertainty. I hated to come to terms with it, but I was dependant on the tortoiseshell. Without him I was dead; since my back was injured I had no way of walking, hunting, hiding, or _anything_. Someone had to be there to help me, or else all was basically forfeited.

I had lost my dying suicidal drive with the night, but the core feelings of despair and hopelessness were still there. Ears flat against my skull and whiskers pulled back in a mixture of negative emotions, the loudest thought I had screamed at me. _You were a fool to trust him!_

Along with the disappointment, I was hurt. Of all things, I felt betrayed. This confused me a great deal; I knew Sol wasn't one to hold faith in and that in the end he only cared for himself, but I thought that maybe, in my current state, he would at least be altruistic and help me. He apparently saved me, after all. Why not help me further? But I guess that that was a very stupid thing to assume or think. Not only was I alone, but I was without the information I needed; Sol had never finished answering my questions either. Also, my emotions were even _more_ shattered than I had previously thought possible.

My ears swiveled forward and flicked toward a distinctive rustle in the foliage a few fox-lengths in front of me. Green eyes staring intently at where the sound had come from, I thought bitterly that it was probably a rogue or a fox that had come to pick me off. Bracing myself, I prepared for whatever it was; whether it was Sol or a badger, I was ready to not go down without a fight (or let the tom off easily). My claws were unsheathed as whatever it was finally revealed itself.

A wonderful surge of relief washed over me as I recognized the mottled head of Sol. While I was terribly upset, understanding grudgingly replaced it when I saw the prey dangling from his jaws. How he probably 'cajoled' it from another cat or beast was pushed to the back of my mind as the tom gracefully padded over to me. His amber eyes were focused on me, and I made sure not to look into them directly; doing so could be dangerous. I knew that from experience.

"I'm sorry," he began in his smooth voice after he had placed the fresh kill near my paws, "I was hoping to return before you awoke."

I ignored the growling in my stomach as I continued to eye the long-haired cat. "Where did you get that?" I questioned him. He seemed unfazed by my bluntness as he replied, "That is of no importance at the moment." "That is always your first answer for things," I countered simply, my black fur beginning to lie flat from having bristled when I awoke to being by myself a while ago.

Sol seemed to have no reply, so I continued, "I thought you had left." I absolutely hated how I accidentally sounded so vulnerable. I had meant to say it sternly in hopes of making the other guilty, although that was unlikely.

The next thing I knew, Sol had fleetingly pressed his muzzle to mine before replying, "I would never."

My eyes had widened, and my heart was beating rapidly in an off-tempo flurry. At a loss for words, I sputtered under my breath and half-heartedly bared my fangs. To my increasing embarrassment and puzzlement, the tom seemed thoroughly amused.

Before I could even conjure up a sensible reply, Sol meowed, "I had given you my word, yes? And either way, I would not leave a cat in such a defenseless state." His words seemed honest, serious, and from the heart, but I was too perplexed and flustered to really notice.

The tom bent his angular head down to nudge the prey more towards me, of which I noticed was two mice. I looked blankly at it, my stomach and head still churning. My previous appetite was gone, but I knew I had to eat something, so when Sol lifted his head and sauntered a mouse-length or two away I took a bite out of the prey. Finishing the first mouse after a moment, I pushed the other away feebly, turning my attention back toward the other cat. Most likely he had already eaten, or else he wouldn't have given me more than I really needed.

He was apparently making himself comfortable in a make-shift bed of brambles and weeds that he must have assembled yesterday. I watched him uncomfortably, still willing my heart to calm down. Why did what he did excite me so much? I was very conflicted inside; it would be wrong of me to say that I held any sort of affection toward Sol. It would be one-sided and appalling. After all he's done... I shook it off. He just caught me off guard, is all. I repeated it again in my mind, but deep down inside I could not subdue the traitorous voice that told me otherwise.

The tortoiseshell had tucked his tail close to his body and was beginning to busy himself by leisurely rasping his tongue over his paws. I watched him guardedly, my mind rejecting the thought of him unleashing his amber gaze upon me. That would definitely be something I would not exactly be able to handle. Turning my head and resting it on the grass, I breathed in and out, trying to relax myself. It wasn't worth getting worked up over, and really, it wasn't my biggest worry at the moment.

I had to keep on going; I had to get even further away from where I was. Running was what I was doing. My life was no longer what it once was, nor will it ever be again. I had so much to think about, plot, and plan; I had an injury to deal with as well! Nothing seemed to be in my favor.

It was then that the fact that I was immobile and would be for a while yet hit home in my head; I was completely dependant on Sol, I knew, something no cat should have the misfortune of. But that also meant that I was at his mercy. If he was truly good-willed or not, only time would tell. While my mind had been wandering and flipping through all sorts of scenarios and ponderings, I had pretty much ignored the cat who was watching me contently from close by.

"Do not fret over me," Sol meowed, "Didn't you have questions that you saved from yesterday?" He seemed to be brushing over what he had done to me with terrible ease; probably losing interest with the situation. I stopped suddenly in my thinking and allowed for my eyes to travel to Sol. Yes, that was right.

"Er, yes," I meowed slowly. I knew that he could be complaint when he wanted to, but I had the mind to assume that the cat was toying with me while he could. Recalling the times back in the Clan when Sol was ThunderClan's prisoner, he was so vague with Firestar, my brothers, and me. _Knowing him he probably still thinks that I'm apart of the prophecy_, I thought scathingly. He may have known about the truth behind Ashfur's murder, but when it came to the prophecy Sol vainly stuck to it, even when it wasn't true. He didn't know everything. _How he may have faith in me still is proof of that_. But I digress.

Of course, one never knew what Sol was up to.

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**A/N: **Ooh, it's the end. I hope I didn't kill you. Well, if you dislike HollyxSol, and if you dislike my 'alternate' ending to Sunrise, then I advise you never come back here ever again. But I hope that isn't the case and that you're tolerate of my shipping of this (in-need-of-more-love) pairing. The second chapter will be made and posted only if I get feedback in general; after all, what's the point in continuing a fanfiction when the author has no idea if the actual piece stunk or not? So, with that said, please review! You can tell me you hated it, give me critique, or just say 'OMG COOL!!!11!'. I don't care. Reviews make my day. But please no flames if you can help it... They make me feel like I'm worthless and like I'll never amount to anything.

Again, special thanks to Pop2by4 (also known as Robin)! You're amazing.


	2. Chapter 2

_"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough."_

- Frank Crane

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**Disclaimer:** _Warriors_ belongs to _Erin Hunter_. The characters do not belong to me.

_Unbeta'd, so please excuse grammar/punctuation/spelling mistakes! 3_

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**Rehabilitation**

_Chapter Two_

"Who's around here? Seriously," I meowed, impatience already kneading into my tone, "You were supposed to tell me yesterday, but you went around the question."

It was my second chance at getting answers. My mind was less clouded with fatigue and turmoil, and for the first time in what seemed like a while I could think clearly. A bit of my wit was back, and I had forcefully pushed aside all other thoughts to let my mind focus on one thing: Sol. It was almost second-nature to give him my undivided attention; I had relied on him so much in my latter days as a ThunderClan warrior. His words had practically been worth their weight in prey, to speak figuratively. They still were, but now with my head together, I wasn't as desperate.

... _While thoughts soaked with acid and anguish bubbled into my brain, I had to shove them off. Nothing Sol could do would lead me astray from my goal, and no past trivialty would distract me from the more-important present. I was a lone soul in a sea of bleakness, but I needn't dwell on it. I had more perservearance and defiance than that_...

Sol dipped his chin slightly and threw me an amused look. He seemed about to give me a condescending remark, but what actually came out was far from it. "Hollyleaf, you mustn't worry about that," he meowed, "Do you think I would get some kind of thrill from keeping you unkowingly close to something you hope to be far away from?"

"Yes," I meowed bluntly, my eyes dark with cold knowing. Before he could say anything in reply, I continued, "If there is nothing to worry about, then why would you keep it from me?"

"Some things are not worth mentioning," Sol replied, a hint of bitterness in his tone. He probably didn't like my prying.

"... If our positions were switched," I began after a moment's thought, "Wouldn't you want to know where you were? If you think you're doing me better by being all secretive, you're not." A scathing note had soured my statement. I wanted him to understand, even if I had to repeatedly stuff it into his thick head, that I wanted straight-forward answers. He would hold no advantages over me, because for one, I did not trust him, and for two, I would not let myself be vulnerable in my pathetic state. My pride woud not allow for a silver-tongued tortoiseshell to control me like a bird in a cage. Although, why on earth did I expect that I could reason with him?

The mottled tom seemed to consider this, his amber eyes staring at me directly for the first time that morning. I looked away, not wanting to get excited by his gaze. "... I believe that you bring up a good point," he finally said, tossing his regal head to the side and giving me a ponderous look out of the corner of his eye. I dared to look at him, happy that I had managed to get somewhere.

"I suppose I _would_ wish to know, so I will tell you this: you are far away from your lake, and Clan cats pose no threat to us here. Neither do rogues or... what's your term for them? ... _Kittypets_?" He blinked at me, a bland curiosity in his eyes.

"How did you get me here?" I asked, refusing to get distracted. Last I remembered about my supposed-to-be death, I had been entrapped in the mouth of one of the caves that lined ThunderClan territory. I had dug my way through to open space, but with a broken spine, how could Sol, or _anyone_, transport me even further without killing me in the process? Also, how did Sol know where I was in the first place? _Had he been watching me and my brothers?_

Sol seemed bemused. "I carried you," he meowed matter-of-factly, as if it were the most normal thing to have ever occured.

"What do you mean _carried_, Sol?" I asked warily, disbelief gracing my expression. If I knew his reputation or anything else about the tom, he wouldn't bother so much as to do something like that.

"You do not believe me?" Sol asked, his eyes feigning hurt. "I carried you." The tom reiterated himself, although no emphasis was put on anything in particular.

I pondered over if I should divulge my skepticism; he probably wouldn't be very appreciative if I told him that I thought he was too stuck-up and uncaring to bother getting his pelt dirty just for the sake of saving a cat that really wasn't all that special at all. A part of me though, no matter how hard I tried to nudge it down... A part of me wanted to think that maybe he _did_ care. Even though I had no where to go, and even though I was the product of something completely against everything I had ever believed, I wanted to think that I was _important_.

I wasn't important under StarClan's eyes. They wouldn't have driven me to insanity - they wouldn't have made my life terrible if they cared about my well-being. I meant nothing there. But...

What if _Sol_ -

"I carried you on my back," Sol finally meowed, probably bored with my silence. His head was craned upward, his whiskers twitching gently. I could tell that his eyes were watching the sky, a sky that was becoming darkly overcast. I wasn't all too surprised. It just seemed to be raining nonstop these days.

_You wouldn't do that! _I wanted to counter, stubbornly refusing to accept that the cat would actually do something so uncharacteristic. Unless, maybe he still had interest in me? That would be foolish. Sol... Sol wasn't foolish. He knew what was going on at all times. And if not, he covered himself up beautifully.

"Whatever," I resigned. For the first time, Sol seemed dismayed.

He slightly parted his jaws to speak, but didn't, although that could have been me fancying things. His posture changed, his elongated head rising and turning more directly at me. Amber eyes seemed troubled if not frustrated. I knew I wasn't imagining _that_.

Surprised (only slightly), and in awe of this side of Sol that I had never really witnessed before, I almost missed what he said.

"I am not that awful," he stated, sounding as if great unjustice had befallen him. "You, Hollyleaf, were worth saving, so I did."

He seemed to relax, although nothing really changed all that much; I learned that even when geniunely upset his disposition still doesn't change all that much. Ear twitching, he meowed more evenly, "I understand you have reason to doubt me," he paused, then continued, "But you must believe me. What reason do you have not to? Carrying you was the only plausible way, was it not?"

I felt compelled to apologize. Instead, I meowed, "I must have been bloody. You wouldn't deal with that. I know you wouldn't. What did you do when you "carried" me here? Wash me?"

As soon as the implications of those words hit me, I felt like retching. It was the only way; I wasn't bloody in the slightest, it appeared. Not a speck of dried blood was to be found, at least not in the obvious places. Sol _must_ have washed my fur himself. The realization made me suddenly very excited and surprised. The tortoiseshell had done something so personal! It wasn't exactly personal, per say, but it was still something that I just could not concieve him doing!

Not to mention, why did he ever feel as if he had to do so? What were his intentions?

The tom seemed concerned now, his eyes narrowing as he watched my expressions change from inquisitive to shocked.

"What if I did?" he meowed almost uncertainly. "I couldn't let you sit in your own filth. That wouldn't have been very good of me."

"_Why_?" was all I could say, feeling very caught off guard. Everything I thought I knew about Sol's character was being tossed away, and I didn't quite know if I liked that. Although, I supposed I should be even more worried about how I even _bothered_.

"... You seem to think that I'm a very cruel individual," Sol concluded. It sounded as if he was just now piecing this together, which was another thing: he always knew everything. He didn't know this? And was that despondency in his expression?

I watched him get up from his laying position. His tail was low and his steps didn't carry the same sort of meaning that they always did. They weren't decisive and _sure_... I couldn't describe it. It was just a little thing I noticed.

Again, I felt frustrated that I couldn't move. Immobile, I watched him approach me, although he had an extremely short distance to go before he was too close. The tortoiseshell let out a sigh. His pelt stood out dully in the gray of the morning, a rumble choosing to sound exactly at that moment.

I didn't have to open my mouth to taste the air to be able to tell that a rain shower was on its way. Sol seemed distracted for only a moment, his pointed ear flicking in the direction of the thunder.

"I'm not oblivious..." he relented, going from being serious to gentle. "I know what's going on, and I know you more than you probably would like to think. And yet you... Struggle to know me."

I was expecting for him to be pleased by that, but I saw no hint of triumph on his face. At this time I was still (wisely) trying to avoid his eyes. My gaze instead lingered on a patch of dark brown fur on his muzzle.

"I suppose that is for the best..." he continued, his voice trailing off as if he was only voicing an irrelevant thought.

I was puzzled for a moment. I knew that he liked to be secretive; at least that hadn't changed. Sol was acting strangely this morning, and I had to wonder if maybe he was always this way when the sky got so dark and rain was threatening to fall.

Finally, to my great relief, Sol retreated. He turned away from me gracefully, his tail twitching and inches away from my nose. I suppressed the strong urge to recoil. Anxiously watching his form as it didn't go all that far from me and settle down into a neat position, I wondered what was the matter with him. Or, more factually, what the tom was _thinking_.

It was at that moment that it began to rain.

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At first it had been light, the raindrops _plipping _rhythmically on the foliage and the ground, dampening my fur and chilling me. The sky had been pale, but not necessarily _dark_. Now it just looked plain angry. The clouds were billowy on the top and flat on the bottom, all dark gray and ready to cry their water. And they did; at least, harder than before.

The rain was coming down like a waterfall by then. Thunder could be heard breaking through the general hiss of the downpour. It boomed, and sometimes it clapped, sounding like the snapping of a tree branch. I would never admit it in my current situation, but it frightened me.

I felt too unprotected. Disregarding the company of Sol, I felt as if I was not secure and too _out in the open_. For the first time, I felt very far away from home... And I missed the safety I would have felt there.

Unable to be moved, and refusing to let Sol anywhere near me, I lay in the clearing. This made me open to the weather, but thankfully because of the canopy overhead I wasn't completely drenched. I was wet though; no one could disregard that.

Green eyes warily watching the shaking branches above my head, I let my pelt bristle noticeably when another thunder clap resounded through the air. Ears pressed back, I turned my line of sight to the tortoiseshell. His brown and white pelt was soggy, but he seemed dry enough so as to not be uncomfortable. He was sheltered under a broad-leafed plant, his amber eyes gleaming.

I glared at him. Sol had offered to somehow pull me off to the side of the clearing and into the cover of the bushes beside him, but I had growled at him. It was the last thing I would allow; he was not going to touch me, I was determined. Also, I was too stubborn to accept his help at the moment. I supposed I was still irked over his changes in character earlier.

When the rain had gotten harder, he had proffered to carry me again, and he had also suggested that he could stay out in the rain with me. Not believing or trusting him, I refused yet again. To my disappointment (which scared me; why was I feeling disappointed of all things?), Sol gave in without all that much of a fight and had retreated into shelter.

Staring at him now, my mind was reeling. If only I could just magically rise to my paws and effortlessly leave... Or find a spot next to him to lay and act as if nothing had ever happened.

_Had ever happened_...

I blinked as a rather large droplet landed sqaure on my forehead right above my eye. Craning my head to look at my crippled lower back, I analyzed the wound as if for the first time. It looked as if my legs had been crushed or yanked out of their sockets; they were just so _limp_-looking. My spine seemed frozen, and I finally felt the impact of having stayed in a single spot for so long. Body sore, I tentatively stretched a leg.

Deep in thought as I worked my muscles, things slowly started to come back. I pushed them away and instead focused on a more present issue. _Sol had managed to distract me, hadn't he_? I thought, seeing this as an epiphany. Memories from the night previous reluctantly flooded back into my mind; things that happened before the questioning. Before the awareness.

I had been so certain that Sol was going to make my recovery the worst ordeal possible. But instead... He had been looking after me? Keeping me company in his own aloof and quirky way? The idea that maybe Sol _did_ care crossed my mind. Although I did not want to stupidly get my hopes up, I had to wonder. I hated how this was important to me, and I was confused. Why was Sol's presense and thoughts so important? Really, what were my feelings toward him - awe, or respect? Intimidation, maybe?

Thinking about this helped, for even though I did not like the subject, it was still better than thinking about a past that threatened to hurt me no matter what.

A voice broke me out of my pondering.

"Hollyleaf?" Sol questioned, his amber eyes gazing at me through the rain. A soft rumble which led into a sizzling clatter sounded after his voice, making me wince. For the first time that day, I allowed for my gaze to meet his. A moment or two passed before I broke the silence between us.

"What?" I meowed. I hoped to appear agitated as if bothered, but I was disheartened to hear it only make me seem as if lifeless. My voice was hollow, then.

Sol wasn't at all affected by what I could tell. "Are you certain you do not want me to help you over here?" he meowed. Holding back a hiss, I glared at him with all my strength.

"_I am fine_."

"Are you sure?"

_Why is he pressing me_? I wondered moodily, my thoughts getting jumbled all over again. This wasn't like him; when with my brothers, he would be indirect and noncommittal. Why was he continuously asking _me_ things when he would _always_ take no for an answer back in ThunderClan?

"I'm sure!" I snapped, my fur bristling. "I am absolutely certain. I am fine. Out here. In the rain. Thanks." I had punctuated every word equally, wanting for the tom to get it and leave me alone.

At this, Sol seemed utterly amused. This angered me a great deal further, but I was finding it harder and harder to be upset. I was loosing faith in my argument, and I was beginning to see myself as only being stubborn. The rain was showing no sign of relenting, after all...

_No! He's just toying with you_, I assured myself, ignoring the stinging in my chest.

"Lets not be difficult," he purred, a condescending lilt to his tone.

Okay, so he apparently enjoyed seeing me soaked, powerless, and angry. This infuriated me, and it assisted in making me feel even more pathetic. Not appreciating Sol's belittling, a growl came from my jaws. It was overshadowed by the thunder though, and not to mention the rain. I imagined that all Sol could see was a frail-looking, fallen-from-grace she-cat with a snarl on her face. The image made my scowl falter.

Sol's expression changed from being amused to looking mildly serious. "You might catch sickness in the rain. You're drenched." He shifted, tucking his paws under his breast. His eyes were still level with me, though.

"You're wet too," I murmured, my voice completely lost in the roar of the storm. More loudly so he could hear, I added, "I don't care. It would just be another thing to add on. It's not like I'm not weak already." To hear myself admit aloud that I was helpless made me feal suddenly trapped. I couldn't explain why, but I felt like I had just destroyed my dignity, or maybe my control.

"If you wish to get better," Sol replied patiently, "you must get out of the rain. Getting sick will, yes, make you weaker. Although you may not care now, you will care later."

Skeptical, and still feeling a bit rebellious, I countered, "What does it matter to you?"

I almost wished I could take it back when my ears were only met with the pounding of rain on leaves. Secretly, I was afraid of the answer, but I also deeply anticipated it. Half expecting for Sol not to answer and avoid the question, I tilted my chin closer to where he lay, my eyes looking apprehensive.

He did avoid it. But, he did get up from where he was situated. The tortoiseshell padded over to me and looked down at my form. I saw multiple droplets land on his long pelt, the silver pearls clinging to his whiskers. Without much of a word, he began to gingerly grasp my scruff and tug me along.

I let out a surprised exclamation, but I didn't struggle for some odd reason. Maybe I was too shocked that Sol was actually doing this - that he was being serious about somehow getting me out of the rain? It hurt at first, my back panging. But the pain subsided. Before I knew it I was in the overhang that Sol had been in previously. Adjusting myself so I could curl up slightly, I allowed myself to get control of my bearings.

It was only until moments after that I turned to my companion (ugh, really?) and gave him an incredulous and enraged look.

"_Why_ did you _do that_?" I hissed.

He looked at me simply then. "You wouldn't listen to reason," he explained, sounding completely natural.

If possible, I gave him an even more perturbed look. He seemed perfectly oblivious to it. Tail lashing, I continued to squirm, jostling the litter underneath the protective plant. All the while I could feel Sol's eyes on me, and that only succeeded in making me fidget more.

When I had finally settled down and rested my head on the ground (I was on my side still, and my back was still throbbing from being dragged moments ago), there was a moment of where the only sounds being made were thunder booms and newly added wind whistles. I immediately felt suspicious, and I also began feeling uncomfortable. After all, Sol was like, what, a mouselength away?

My fears were made reality when I felt a slight weight on my shoulder and sudden warmth around my spine. Gasping, I lifted my head as best I could and saw tortoiseshell fur pressed up against my side and a paw resting on my shoulder. Twisting around the other way, I saw his shoulder and half of his face. Apparently, Sol had decided it best to invade my personal space yet again.

He was curled around me, his paw now nudging my head down by also pressing lightly on my neck. His chest was pressed up against the back of my head almost; all I could feel was warm (and still quite damp) fur on mine. Saying that I felt aghast and overwhelmingly awkward would be an understatement.

His muzzle aided his paw and managed to make me relax my head. I found that my muzzle was now resting on his other paw, and it was then that I felt completely at a loss. Motionless, I did nothing when I felt his tongue rasp across my soaked fur. Earlier, I vaguely remembered him telling me that he had done this when he had rescued me from the tunnels. It had repulsed and frightened me when I found out, but now, even though the situation was apparently replaying, I felt only uncertain.

Sol only paused to hover his muzzle close to my ear. "Feel free to sleep, even though it is only morning," he meowed calmly, continuing to wash me afterwards. Having nothing else to do but oblige, I tried to focus on the rain and thunder instead of the steady sound of Sol's tongue.

As I began to drift off, I tried, I really did, to convince myself that I only _imagined_ Sol's muzzle lingering over my neck. I also tried to pass off the half-restrained nuzzling that I felt near my chin as fanciful thinking. Believing it all in my head, I fell asleep, vainly assuring myself that I was simply pining for something that never was. It happened though, and I had never felt more disconcerted.

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**A/N: **I know right? I actually updated! For being super late with Chapter Two, I added a snippet of SolxHolly fluff! It's ahead-of-schedule, by the way, so be happy! Although, to be honest, this fanfiction barely has a plot whatsoever. I was thinking about a random fox maybe coming in and eating Sol or something, but I don't know. I don't think that would be accepted by y'all very well... xD

But anyway, I'm seriously losing muse in this story. I hate the first chapter, because, if you haven't noticed, my writing style has changed slightly. I really can't explain it... But also, this story isn't really getting a lot of reaction from people. I'll keep on posting updates because I do still somewhat get enjoyment out of this, and because I do have a few fans that I know about (who have reviewed/faved/alert'd).

How about I just end it all quick-like:

**Holly:** I LUFFLE U OMG.

**Sol:** -all mysterious- And I love yooouuu.

Then they have fifty bajillion babies.

No? No? Nobody else thinks that would work? Well phoo-ee.

Did anyone else notice how I actually tried to throw a bit of humor into this chapter? I didn't want it to be as dark as the first chapter, so yeah. It's actually pretty fail, so if you have your handy-dandy fail-detector you'll be able to locate it. -salutes-

Sorry for the long Author's Note! D: But one last thing...

R&R! 8D (Rate and Review? I'm only guessing...) JUST REVIEW. NOT SO SURE ABOUT THE RATE PART. It could just as easily be rape. RAPE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE.

... I'm-a go now.


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